May 11, 2012
How to Make Banana Bread
Published on May 10, 2012 by allrecipes
See how to make the best banana bread. Month after month, this banana bread recipe is the most viewed on Allrecipes. Shelley Albeluhn's recipe has been saved to more than 150,000 recipe boxes and has thousands of rave reviews. And why not? This banana-banana bread is always super moist and has amazing banana flavor. Try it toasted!
Get this top-rated recipe for Banana Banana Bread athttp://allrecipes.com/recipe/banana-banana-bread/detail.aspx
Wayne Keith - Woodgas, 92 Dodge Dakota cold gas flare demonstration
Published on May 10, 2012 by waynekeith01
May 10, 2012
25 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were Also Farmers | ViJuvenate
Posted on February 23, 2012 by ViJuvenate
Sometimes called the world’s second oldest profession, farming has been the career of choice for countless individuals over the millenia. Among these countless farmers you’ll find heads of state, royalty, actors, and other renowned individuals who made contributions to the history of both farming and mankind.
While all of the 25 farmers-turned-famous highlighted in this article were not proponents of organic methods, we’ve highlighted several that did promote organic agriculture and other sustainable practices.
Read More... (ranging from George Washington to Howard Buffett)
Sometimes called the world’s second oldest profession, farming has been the career of choice for countless individuals over the millenia. Among these countless farmers you’ll find heads of state, royalty, actors, and other renowned individuals who made contributions to the history of both farming and mankind.
While all of the 25 farmers-turned-famous highlighted in this article were not proponents of organic methods, we’ve highlighted several that did promote organic agriculture and other sustainable practices.
Read More... (ranging from George Washington to Howard Buffett)
May 9, 2012
The Secrets to Successful Planting
One sunny morning coming soon, you’ll feel an irresistible urge to plant your garden. Before you pick up a trowel or open a seed packet, check out these hints to help you succeed.
Transplanting Seedlings
Whether it’s a flat of bedding plants from a nursery or seedlings started indoors, you don’t want the transition from pots to garden bed to induce transplant shock.
The first rule of thumb is to watch where you put your thumb. “Never pick up a seedling by the stem—it is the plant's lifeline,” cautions April Johnson, staff horticulturist at the Rodale Institute, near Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Always handle seedlings by their leaves. “Leaves will grow back,” Johnson says.
Hardening Off
Hardening off gradually introduces seedlings to the conditions in your garden. Bring all seedlings—store-bought and homegrown—outdoors and expose them to a steadily increasing amount of sun, wind, and temperatures lower or higher than what they were used to indoors. This will take about 2 weeks. Don’t rush it.
When to Plant
The ideal time to plant is when it’s overcast, with rain in the forecast and no frosts or heat waves expected. If conditions don’t cooperate, then try to plant in the late afternoon or early evening to minimize the time the seedlings bake in the sun. The day before planting, water the plants so that the soil in the pots is moist.
In the Ground
Keep your seedlings in the shade until you’re actually ready to plant each one. Don’t pull a plant out of its container until you’ve dug the hole for it. If you can’t easily pull it out of its container by the leaves, hold the pot in one hand as shown below, flip it upside down, and give it a sharp tap on the bottom. The rootball should slip out into your other hand. Snip away any damaged roots with scissors or pruners. If the roots are a solid mass, gently tease some away from the center, trying not to break them.
Carefully slice into peat or newspaper pots with a knife to give the roots an escape hatch in case the pot doesn’t break down quickly. Once the pot is in the ground, tear off any part of it that extends above the soil line. It will dry out and pull moisture from the soil.
Plant the seedling at about the depth it was in the container, or a bit deeper. If your soil is cold or very wet, planting too deeply could rot the stem. But plant tomatoes quite deep. Studies by the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, in Immokalee, Florida, showed that tomatoes planted up to their first set of true leaves set fruit earlier, and yielded more and larger tomatoes, than tomatoes planted at rootball level. This held true when the studies were repeated in the colder soils of Ohio and Massachusetts.
Firm the soil around your seedlings, but don’t press so hard that you compact it. Give each seedling a thorough watering.
Transplanting Seedlings
Whether it’s a flat of bedding plants from a nursery or seedlings started indoors, you don’t want the transition from pots to garden bed to induce transplant shock.
The first rule of thumb is to watch where you put your thumb. “Never pick up a seedling by the stem—it is the plant's lifeline,” cautions April Johnson, staff horticulturist at the Rodale Institute, near Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Always handle seedlings by their leaves. “Leaves will grow back,” Johnson says.
Hardening Off
Hardening off gradually introduces seedlings to the conditions in your garden. Bring all seedlings—store-bought and homegrown—outdoors and expose them to a steadily increasing amount of sun, wind, and temperatures lower or higher than what they were used to indoors. This will take about 2 weeks. Don’t rush it.
When to Plant
The ideal time to plant is when it’s overcast, with rain in the forecast and no frosts or heat waves expected. If conditions don’t cooperate, then try to plant in the late afternoon or early evening to minimize the time the seedlings bake in the sun. The day before planting, water the plants so that the soil in the pots is moist.
In the Ground
Keep your seedlings in the shade until you’re actually ready to plant each one. Don’t pull a plant out of its container until you’ve dug the hole for it. If you can’t easily pull it out of its container by the leaves, hold the pot in one hand as shown below, flip it upside down, and give it a sharp tap on the bottom. The rootball should slip out into your other hand. Snip away any damaged roots with scissors or pruners. If the roots are a solid mass, gently tease some away from the center, trying not to break them.
Carefully slice into peat or newspaper pots with a knife to give the roots an escape hatch in case the pot doesn’t break down quickly. Once the pot is in the ground, tear off any part of it that extends above the soil line. It will dry out and pull moisture from the soil.
Plant the seedling at about the depth it was in the container, or a bit deeper. If your soil is cold or very wet, planting too deeply could rot the stem. But plant tomatoes quite deep. Studies by the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, in Immokalee, Florida, showed that tomatoes planted up to their first set of true leaves set fruit earlier, and yielded more and larger tomatoes, than tomatoes planted at rootball level. This held true when the studies were repeated in the colder soils of Ohio and Massachusetts.
Firm the soil around your seedlings, but don’t press so hard that you compact it. Give each seedling a thorough watering.
The First Days
Your seedlings have become established when you see healthy new growth. This can take a few days to a week, depending on the weather. Wilted leaves or drooping stems can be symptoms of transplant shock. Seedlings can go into transplant shock if they weren’t hardened off completely or if the weather is extreme. Most plants recover in a few days, but until they do:
Check that the soil is firmly around the plants so that no air pockets are drying out the roots.
Protect the transplants from sun and strong winds with row covers, sheets, or cloches.
Water only if the top inch of the soil is dry. Don't water if the soil is already wet; it won’t help.
In The New Seed-Starters Handbook (Rodale, 1988), author Nancy Bubel recommends waiting a week to 10 days after transplanting before fertilizing your seedlings. They will have sent out new feeder roots by then and will be entering their most active stage of growth.
Direct-Sowing Seeds
How hard is it to put a seed in the ground, anyway? Not hard. Nature does it all the time. But of the thousands of seeds a plant may release, only one or two might germinate and grow. Hedge your bets by not planting every seed in the pack. If any seeds don’t sprout, you’ll have extra to fill in the empty spaces.
Planting Depth
Plant seeds too deeply, and they may never germinate. Plant them too shallowly, and the topsoil might dry out during germination. Generally, you can plant a large seed at a depth equal to three times its diameter (not its length). Seeds of peas, squashes, and sunflowers and those of similar size are considered large seeds. Plant smaller seeds about 1/8 inch deep. The seed packet will give the proper planting depth for that particular seed.
Some seeds need light to germinate, so you can’t bury them. Either sift fine soil over them or leave them uncovered. But make sure the seeds make firm contact by pressing them into the soil.
To Hill or to Mound
Most gardeners sow seeds in rows—seeds spaced evenly in a line. But another way to plant seeds is in hills. When a seed packet recommends planting in hills, it means planting them in a cluster—not necessarily in a mound, as you might expect. Mounding the soil is optional. Cucurbits are often planted in elevated hills, because they need warm soil and good drainage.
Squash and melon expert and author Amy Goldman, in Rhinebeck, New York, plants her cucurbits in flat hills. She’s found that raising seedlings above the surrounding soil level causes them to dry out too quickly. She suggests mounding only if your soil is compacted or waterlogged. Jeremiath Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, in Mansfield, Missouri, skips hills entirely and simply plants his cucurbit seeds in rows. He advises gardeners who plant in elevated hills to check the seedlings after a heavy rain to make sure the soil hasn’t washed away from the roots.
Your seedlings have become established when you see healthy new growth. This can take a few days to a week, depending on the weather. Wilted leaves or drooping stems can be symptoms of transplant shock. Seedlings can go into transplant shock if they weren’t hardened off completely or if the weather is extreme. Most plants recover in a few days, but until they do:
Check that the soil is firmly around the plants so that no air pockets are drying out the roots.
Protect the transplants from sun and strong winds with row covers, sheets, or cloches.
Water only if the top inch of the soil is dry. Don't water if the soil is already wet; it won’t help.
In The New Seed-Starters Handbook (Rodale, 1988), author Nancy Bubel recommends waiting a week to 10 days after transplanting before fertilizing your seedlings. They will have sent out new feeder roots by then and will be entering their most active stage of growth.
Direct-Sowing Seeds
How hard is it to put a seed in the ground, anyway? Not hard. Nature does it all the time. But of the thousands of seeds a plant may release, only one or two might germinate and grow. Hedge your bets by not planting every seed in the pack. If any seeds don’t sprout, you’ll have extra to fill in the empty spaces.
Planting Depth
Plant seeds too deeply, and they may never germinate. Plant them too shallowly, and the topsoil might dry out during germination. Generally, you can plant a large seed at a depth equal to three times its diameter (not its length). Seeds of peas, squashes, and sunflowers and those of similar size are considered large seeds. Plant smaller seeds about 1/8 inch deep. The seed packet will give the proper planting depth for that particular seed.
Some seeds need light to germinate, so you can’t bury them. Either sift fine soil over them or leave them uncovered. But make sure the seeds make firm contact by pressing them into the soil.
To Hill or to Mound
Most gardeners sow seeds in rows—seeds spaced evenly in a line. But another way to plant seeds is in hills. When a seed packet recommends planting in hills, it means planting them in a cluster—not necessarily in a mound, as you might expect. Mounding the soil is optional. Cucurbits are often planted in elevated hills, because they need warm soil and good drainage.
Squash and melon expert and author Amy Goldman, in Rhinebeck, New York, plants her cucurbits in flat hills. She’s found that raising seedlings above the surrounding soil level causes them to dry out too quickly. She suggests mounding only if your soil is compacted or waterlogged. Jeremiath Gettle, owner of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, in Mansfield, Missouri, skips hills entirely and simply plants his cucurbit seeds in rows. He advises gardeners who plant in elevated hills to check the seedlings after a heavy rain to make sure the soil hasn’t washed away from the roots.
6 Plants to Direct-Sow
Carrots. Sow seeds after danger of frost. For even distribution, mix the tiny seeds with sand before sprinkling them in your bed. Cover them with fine soil or more sand, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Carrot seeds can take up to a month to germinate, so keep the soil evenly moist. To speed germination, Gettle suggests placing a 1-by-6 board over the newly seeded and watered-in row to hold in moisture. Check the underside of the board daily for slugs and remove it in about a week.
Corn. Warm soil, above 60°F, is essential for seed germination. Seed heavily (up to four seeds per foot) to make up for any losses to birds; you can always thin later. Corn is wind-pollinated, so to ensure pollination, you must plan on a minimum of 16 plants in a block of four short rows.
Cucurbits. Members of this family include cucumbers, pumpkins, summer and winter squashes, and zucchini. Seeds should be sown after frost. Plant in hills, with six to eight seeds per hill. Space the hills about 6 feet apart, and enrich each one with a large shovelful of compost or well-aged manure. If cucumber beetles are a problem in your area, wait to thin, and then take out the ones with the worst beetle damage.
Lettuce. These tiny seeds need light to germinate, so just press them into the ground and sift some fine soil over them. Though it loves cool weather, lettuce can take a couple of weeks to germinate in cold soil outdoors. Protect seedlings from hard frosts with row covers, newspaper, or sheets. Thin plants to 3 inches apart. Sow seeds weekly for successive harvests.
Morning glories. Sow seeds after the last frost. Nick each with a file or soak them in lukewarm water before planting. Since these vines don’t flower well in rich soil, site them in a place where you haven't added a lot of organic matter.
Peas. Plant peas in early spring, as soon as you can work the ground. Pretreat the seeds with inoculant. Peas will germinate in very cold soil (40°F), but this can take weeks. Pea seedlings tolerate frost better than mature peas.
Before You Begin
Decide in advance how many of each vegetable or flower variety you want and where you’re going to site it.
Label your plant markers with the variety name and date before you head outdoors.
If your shoes get muddy when walking around the garden, then your soil is too wet for sowing or transplanting. Wait for a drier day.
If it's been more than a couple of weeks since you’ve turned the soil and prepared your beds, then they’ve probably crusted over from rain. Drag a rake over the area a couple of times to break up the crust (you’ll likely need to weed, too).
Seed-Packet Glossary
Seed packets have their own vocabulary. Here are some terms you’ll need to know.
Average last-frost date. The last day in spring, on average, that your area has experienced a hard frost. Each seed packet tells you how many weeks before or after that date to plant the seed.
Broadcast. To scatter seed over a selected area (as opposed to planting in a row or hill).
Inoculant. Living bacteria that helps peas, beans, and other legumes take nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it in the soil. Peas and beans grow best when they’re inoculated before you sow the seeds. Inoculant is sold in a powdered form and needs to be fresh to work. Buy a new packet every year.
Scarify. To create openings in the hard coats of certain seeds to admit moisture and initiate germination. Large seeds are usually nicked with a file or knife; small seeds may be rubbed gently inside a folded sheet of sandpaper.
Soak. To soften the outer coats of hard seeds by immersing them overnight in warm water. Sow them immediately after soaking, or they will wither and die.
Source URL: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/secrets-successful-planting
Links:
[1] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/5-steps-sowing-success
[2] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/starting-seeds-indoors
[3] http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/
[4] http://www.organicgardening.com/paperpots
[5] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/10-easy-soil-tests
[6] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/tomatoes-growing-guide
[7] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/carrots-growing-guide
[8] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/sweet-corn
[9] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/squash
[10] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/long-lived-lettuce
[11] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/peas
[12] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/pretreatments-slow-germinate-seeds
Carrots. Sow seeds after danger of frost. For even distribution, mix the tiny seeds with sand before sprinkling them in your bed. Cover them with fine soil or more sand, 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Carrot seeds can take up to a month to germinate, so keep the soil evenly moist. To speed germination, Gettle suggests placing a 1-by-6 board over the newly seeded and watered-in row to hold in moisture. Check the underside of the board daily for slugs and remove it in about a week.
Corn. Warm soil, above 60°F, is essential for seed germination. Seed heavily (up to four seeds per foot) to make up for any losses to birds; you can always thin later. Corn is wind-pollinated, so to ensure pollination, you must plan on a minimum of 16 plants in a block of four short rows.
Cucurbits. Members of this family include cucumbers, pumpkins, summer and winter squashes, and zucchini. Seeds should be sown after frost. Plant in hills, with six to eight seeds per hill. Space the hills about 6 feet apart, and enrich each one with a large shovelful of compost or well-aged manure. If cucumber beetles are a problem in your area, wait to thin, and then take out the ones with the worst beetle damage.
Lettuce. These tiny seeds need light to germinate, so just press them into the ground and sift some fine soil over them. Though it loves cool weather, lettuce can take a couple of weeks to germinate in cold soil outdoors. Protect seedlings from hard frosts with row covers, newspaper, or sheets. Thin plants to 3 inches apart. Sow seeds weekly for successive harvests.
Morning glories. Sow seeds after the last frost. Nick each with a file or soak them in lukewarm water before planting. Since these vines don’t flower well in rich soil, site them in a place where you haven't added a lot of organic matter.
Peas. Plant peas in early spring, as soon as you can work the ground. Pretreat the seeds with inoculant. Peas will germinate in very cold soil (40°F), but this can take weeks. Pea seedlings tolerate frost better than mature peas.
Before You Begin
Decide in advance how many of each vegetable or flower variety you want and where you’re going to site it.
Label your plant markers with the variety name and date before you head outdoors.
If your shoes get muddy when walking around the garden, then your soil is too wet for sowing or transplanting. Wait for a drier day.
If it's been more than a couple of weeks since you’ve turned the soil and prepared your beds, then they’ve probably crusted over from rain. Drag a rake over the area a couple of times to break up the crust (you’ll likely need to weed, too).
Seed-Packet Glossary
Seed packets have their own vocabulary. Here are some terms you’ll need to know.
Average last-frost date. The last day in spring, on average, that your area has experienced a hard frost. Each seed packet tells you how many weeks before or after that date to plant the seed.
Broadcast. To scatter seed over a selected area (as opposed to planting in a row or hill).
Inoculant. Living bacteria that helps peas, beans, and other legumes take nitrogen from the atmosphere and fix it in the soil. Peas and beans grow best when they’re inoculated before you sow the seeds. Inoculant is sold in a powdered form and needs to be fresh to work. Buy a new packet every year.
Scarify. To create openings in the hard coats of certain seeds to admit moisture and initiate germination. Large seeds are usually nicked with a file or knife; small seeds may be rubbed gently inside a folded sheet of sandpaper.
Soak. To soften the outer coats of hard seeds by immersing them overnight in warm water. Sow them immediately after soaking, or they will wither and die.
Source URL: http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/secrets-successful-planting
Links:
[1] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/5-steps-sowing-success
[2] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/starting-seeds-indoors
[3] http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/
[4] http://www.organicgardening.com/paperpots
[5] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/10-easy-soil-tests
[6] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/tomatoes-growing-guide
[7] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/carrots-growing-guide
[8] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/sweet-corn
[9] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/squash
[10] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/long-lived-lettuce
[11] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/peas
[12] http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/pretreatments-slow-germinate-seeds
May 8, 2012
Successful Setup and Maintenance of Purple Martin Houses - YouTube
Published on Apr 11, 2012 by TheRmeyPilot
Learn from my past mistakes in setting up a successful purple martin colony. In the first two years, I had my apartments decimated by mite infestations and murderous starlings. I have since had full apartments and a few hundred fledged martin babies using these simple tips which I have refined over the past eight years. In this short video you will learn about choosing the proper housing, figuring the proper placement of the apartments, and doing the regular maintenance that is essential for a healthy Martin habitat. I'll explain the importance of Starling Resistant Entry Holes, the importance of stripping out invasive nesters, what to clean your housing with, and how to prevent mite infestations using completely inert "Diatomaceous Earth". To get information on building your own starling trap, check our "melcher NBT" on YouTube. (I have no affiliation or relationship with him) And lastly, if you liked my video, please give me a thumbs up so that others will be drawn to it. Enjoy!
Related Links:
http://purplemartin.org/
http://purplemartin.org/main/mgt.html
DIY: Purple Martin Houses | eHow.com
Crimson Clover Cover Crop - YouTube
Uploaded by Buzatesri on Apr 6, 2010
Scott Utley and Ronnie Barentine discuss the 1200 or so acres of AU Robin Clover planted in Turner Co. - they cover the benefits as well as some of the practical aspects (including potential objections to) this cover crop. The news to me was that this cover crop keeps on seeding and it fixes between 100 and 150 lb/ac of N a year - how cool is that?
Full Size Image
Full Size Image
Related Links:
Trifolium incarnatum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Crimson Clover
May 6, 2012
Wayne Keith - Wood Gas Part 2: Extras and In-Depth Info
Published on Apr 28, 2012 by ecojaunt
Wayne Keith takes us through the ins and outs of his wood-gas powered trucks. He explains details and shares comparative efficiency stats.
May 3, 2012
How To Use Camera Raw Tools to Develop Digital Photographs
If you think Photoshop is the most powerful tool in a photographer’s toolbox, think again. Whether you’re using freeware, Adobe Camera Raw, or Lightroom, Raw developing tools are the best way to turn good pictures into great ones.
Raw editors have very specific tools for making very fine tuned adjustments, as well as powerful, image transforming changes. But the program has a lot of new tools to learn, most of which don’t appear obvious and easy. Keep reading—we’ll discuss more about these powerful tools and how you can use them even if you’re not equipped with a camera that can shoot in a raw format.
Does it Matter if I Don’t Shoot in Camera Raw?
You might have seen this article—it’s been shared in lots of photography circles, including recently on Reddit where we found it in the phography subreddit. Some will tell you that there is an advantage to shooting in JPG over your camera’s RAW file format depending on the situation. While this might seem logical, we at How-To Geek don’t recommend shooting in anything but raw if your camera supports it. We won’t dwell on it today, but raw formats contain loads of information and unprocessed image data that is thrown awaywhen a JPG is created. The point of raw is to take the artistic decisions out of the hands of the camera’s computer and let the photographer make those decisions.
These camera raw processing tools are ideally for raw files, but they can also work wonders with JPG files. So if you’re not capable of shooting in anything but JPG, you can get a great image out of these raw processing programs.
How to Open Images (Including JPG) in Adobe Camera Raw
One of the most frustrating bits about the Adobe Camera Raw program is that it is buried inside of Photoshop and Adobe Bridge. You can open an image in the Camera Raw program several ways.
Open Adobe Bridge (It comes free installed with Photoshop) and simply right click on an image to tell it to open in the Camera Raw program. This is the easiest way to use Camera Raw because Bridge lets you navigate through your pictures and even force open JPGs and other files with Camera Raw.
When you open raw files with Photoshop, they are automatically opened with Camera Raw.
If you want to open JPG files in Camera Raw, find File > Open As and set your filetype to “Camera Raw” as shown above right. Then select any image file and it will open in Camera Raw.
Using Camera Raw to Edit Photographs
The most important raw developing programs have nearly identical tools. Let’s look at them and how to use them to develop your images.
This is the histogram. You should recognize it if you’ve been reading our articles on Photography. It’s pretty dang important and we talk about it a lot, mostly because it is so important. If you don’t know, it represents the tones in your image and is the key to using many of the tools in Camera Raw.
On the left you’ll find the info for the RGB values under your mouse pointer (currently null because the mouse isn’t in the image) and some of the EXIF data about how the image was taken. And all those funny icons below that information? Those are all menus you can access. If you’ve not noticed them before, you may be stunned to see just how tweaky you can get with your raw files. We can’t cover every detail, but let’s hit some of the high points.
The Basic Menu
White Balance: Adjust the white point of your image. Sliding the temperature left causes a blue shift while sliding right causes a yellower, warming shift.
Tint: Just like on your television, you can shift your photo red or green. Technically, it’s magenta and green because those colors are opposites in the world of photography.
Exposure: Raw files more or less record all data that hits the sensor while the shutter is open. Because of this, you can simulate a longer and shorter exposure time by adding or subtracting light in fractions of stops.
Recovery: Makes adjustments to the highlight areas just below the purest whites. Look for them just to the left of the right side of the histogram.
Fill Light: Adjusts the mid-tones and center bulk of the histogram.
Blacks: By default, Camera Raw adds some black to the image. This slider independently adjusts the amount of shadow areas in the image.
Brightness and Contrast: These are the basic tools in Photoshop and here they’re pretty much the same. Brightness adjusts the highlight areas but tends to brighten the entire image.
Clarity: Adds or removes detail in the black channel with sharpen filters that can tighten up the image.
Vibrance and Saturation: These two both adjust the intensity of the color in the image in subtly different ways. “Saturation” tends to make the image incredibly intense, cartoonish and oversaturated. “Vibrance” is more natural, even at high settings.
Through clever application of these tools, you can work miracles on a badly exposed camera raw file. A JPG, on the other hand, will can only be pushed so much, so don’t expect a badly exposed JPG to be brought back from the brink this way.
Tone Curve
Tint: Just like on your television, you can shift your photo red or green. Technically, it’s magenta and green because those colors are opposites in the world of photography.
Exposure: Raw files more or less record all data that hits the sensor while the shutter is open. Because of this, you can simulate a longer and shorter exposure time by adding or subtracting light in fractions of stops.
Recovery: Makes adjustments to the highlight areas just below the purest whites. Look for them just to the left of the right side of the histogram.
Fill Light: Adjusts the mid-tones and center bulk of the histogram.
Blacks: By default, Camera Raw adds some black to the image. This slider independently adjusts the amount of shadow areas in the image.
Brightness and Contrast: These are the basic tools in Photoshop and here they’re pretty much the same. Brightness adjusts the highlight areas but tends to brighten the entire image.
Clarity: Adds or removes detail in the black channel with sharpen filters that can tighten up the image.
Vibrance and Saturation: These two both adjust the intensity of the color in the image in subtly different ways. “Saturation” tends to make the image incredibly intense, cartoonish and oversaturated. “Vibrance” is more natural, even at high settings.
Through clever application of these tools, you can work miracles on a badly exposed camera raw file. A JPG, on the other hand, will can only be pushed so much, so don’t expect a badly exposed JPG to be brought back from the brink this way.
Tone Curve
The tone curve operates two ways. This is the “Parametric” setting, which is a little different than the usual tone curve. The four sliders for Highlights, Lights, Darks, and Shadows adjust the histogram shown here starting on the right side and working to the left (Highlights on the right, shadows on the left).
In addition to sliders to adjust those tonal areas, the three points under the histogram, when moved, will fence in these four areas to a specific part of the histogram.
This means, if you want to adjust only the brightest highlights, you can move the rightmost slider closer to the right, and then adjust thehighlights slider below. This can allow you to take a lot of control over your image if the basic sliders aren’t giving you all the control you want.
In addition to sliders to adjust those tonal areas, the three points under the histogram, when moved, will fence in these four areas to a specific part of the histogram.
This means, if you want to adjust only the brightest highlights, you can move the rightmost slider closer to the right, and then adjust thehighlights slider below. This can allow you to take a lot of control over your image if the basic sliders aren’t giving you all the control you want.
The “Point” setting works exactly like the Curves tool in Photoshop.
We’ve talked about it at length before and it’s still a powerful tool. Use it if you’re comfortable with it.
Detail, Sharpening and Noise Reduction
We’ve talked about it at length before and it’s still a powerful tool. Use it if you’re comfortable with it.
Detail, Sharpening and Noise Reduction
Easily one of the most important tools in the program, Sharpening and Noise Reduction allow pinpoint accurate control over filters on detail (like the Unsharp Mask filter) or Noise Reduction (like the Smart Blur filter).
The benefit here is that Camera Raw seems to automatically adjust these filter selectively in various channels, similar to our Unsharp Mark technique we looked at a few weeks ago.
Sharpening is a bit like an extension of the “Clarity” slider under the “Basic” menu and it works similarly to the Unsharp Mask filter in Photshop. If you’re not familiar with it, play with it until you get a result you like—you can revert almost anything in a raw editor.
Noise reduction has two basic adjustments: it will reduce camera grain in either the Luminance channel (affecting only the black and whites, not color) or in the Color channels (affecting all colors and values).
Here’s a comparison of the sharpening tool at a high setting versus the noise reduction setting at a reasonable setting.
Hue/Saturation/Luminance and Split Toning
Hue/Saturation/Luminance allows you to very precisely adjust your colors in all the various primary channels at once. This can allow you a lot of micro control of your image if you prefer to edit it this way. It’s great if you want to do something like dull out all colors but the reds or make your only the blues in your sky a shade darker and more intense.
Split Toning (above right) can be useful, but seems mostly only for creating Instagram style effects by cooling shadows and warming highlights. Any readers that wish to contribute their uses for Split Toning, feel free to add them in the comments.
The benefit here is that Camera Raw seems to automatically adjust these filter selectively in various channels, similar to our Unsharp Mark technique we looked at a few weeks ago.
Sharpening is a bit like an extension of the “Clarity” slider under the “Basic” menu and it works similarly to the Unsharp Mask filter in Photshop. If you’re not familiar with it, play with it until you get a result you like—you can revert almost anything in a raw editor.
Noise reduction has two basic adjustments: it will reduce camera grain in either the Luminance channel (affecting only the black and whites, not color) or in the Color channels (affecting all colors and values).
Here’s a comparison of the sharpening tool at a high setting versus the noise reduction setting at a reasonable setting.
Hue/Saturation/Luminance and Split Toning
Hue/Saturation/Luminance allows you to very precisely adjust your colors in all the various primary channels at once. This can allow you a lot of micro control of your image if you prefer to edit it this way. It’s great if you want to do something like dull out all colors but the reds or make your only the blues in your sky a shade darker and more intense.
Split Toning (above right) can be useful, but seems mostly only for creating Instagram style effects by cooling shadows and warming highlights. Any readers that wish to contribute their uses for Split Toning, feel free to add them in the comments.
Here’s split toning in action, creating the aforementioned Instagram style color adjustment.
Lens Profiles
Lenses can distort light hitting the sensor. At least, certain types of lenses distort light differently than other types of lenses. When you shoot a modern digital camera, the type of lens you used is recorded in the EXIF data, and programs like Camera Raw can load profiles of that lens to correct the image in ways you might not have noticed before. These usually include warping or darkening parts of the image. You may find you like the image without the profile applied—this part is optional. Simply because you can “correct” an image doesn’t mean it will actually make it look better.
The “Manual” setting can allow you to distort and adjust the image with the same toolset the lens profiles use. The sliders for “chromatic aberration” can be very helpful if you’rerunning into a lot of chromatic aberrations in your images.
The left image isn’t corrected, while the right image is. The outside edges of the picture are slightly brighter and have had some light distortion removed.
Effects and Camera Calibration
Buried close to the end are Effects and Camera Calibration. Effects are limited to adding grain and vignetting the sides of the photograph. Both have great tweaks available, but are pretty limited as far as effects go.
Camera Calibration is a way to adjust the color profiles associated with your camera and sensor. If that doesn’t sound all that appealing to you, don’t worry about it. You can safely ignore it and get photos that you’re happy with.
Here’s the vignette effect that camera raw will apply for you in both white and black. Mostly useless, since Photoshop can probably do this better, but not bad, regardless.
Other Tools For Editing Raw
Your camera might have come with software for editing and developing raw files, and if so, you might want to give this proprietary software a shot. If not, one of our favorite programs is Raw Therapee, which has most, if not all, of the most important features in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, Raw Therapee is a free download for Windows.
Lightroom is also a fairly cheap but feature rich program that will develop your raw files exactly like Camera Raw will. Some photographers prefer it exclusively over Camera Raw, although the majority of the program is identical.That more or less wraps up the less obvious tools to edit camera raw files. Do you feel like you understand the process better? Or are you more confused than before? Tell us about it (or about your experience developing your digital images) in the comments section below, or send your questions to ericgoodnight@howtogeek.com. Your thoughts and questions might inspire one of the next HTG articles!
May 2, 2012
360 Degree Aerial Panorama | 3D Virtual Tours Around the World | Photos of the Most Interesting Places on the Earth | AirPano.com
AirPano is a noncommercial project focused on high resolution 3D aerial panoramas. AirPano team is the group of russian photographers and panorama enthusiasts. During the next 2-3 years we plan to shoot the aerial panoramas and create the virtual 3D tours of the most interesting places of our planet.
AirPano is a Moscow based group of panoramas enthusiasts. We are focused on hi-resolution aerial panoramas
Normally, we shoot from a helicopter but sometimes we use light jets, dirigibles, air balloons and radio-controlled helicopter models.
During nearest 2 years the Airpano team is going to shoot the aero-panoramas and create the virtual tours of the most significant and interesting cities and corners of our planet. We already have created more than 250 panoramas which show more than 60 places of our world. You are welcome to see them on our website. AirPano is a world leader in number of exhibited places, quantity of aerial panoramas as well as in art and technical quality of the creative works.Every week we present a new virtual tour on our website.
At present time we have shot about 70 places (most panoramas have already been represented on our site and some material is still waiting for the processing):
AirPano is a Moscow based group of panoramas enthusiasts. We are focused on hi-resolution aerial panoramas
Normally, we shoot from a helicopter but sometimes we use light jets, dirigibles, air balloons and radio-controlled helicopter models.
During nearest 2 years the Airpano team is going to shoot the aero-panoramas and create the virtual tours of the most significant and interesting cities and corners of our planet. We already have created more than 250 panoramas which show more than 60 places of our world. You are welcome to see them on our website. AirPano is a world leader in number of exhibited places, quantity of aerial panoramas as well as in art and technical quality of the creative works.Every week we present a new virtual tour on our website.
At present time we have shot about 70 places (most panoramas have already been represented on our site and some material is still waiting for the processing):
Sydney, Australia
Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt
Himalaya, National Park Sagarmatha
Las Vegas, USA
Hong Kong
Nazca Lines, Peru
Palpa pictures, Peru
Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru
Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island
Santiago, Chile
The Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra in Sergiev Posad, Russia
New Jerusalem Monastery in Moscow Region, Russia
Iquazu Waterfall, Brazil
Los Angeles, USA
Zermatt and the Alps, Switzerland
Cape Town, SAR
Moscow, MEH (Moscow Encircling Highway) and environs
Cape of Good Hope, SAR
Monument Valley, USA
The Swiss Alps, St. Moritz
Miami, Florida, USA
Lake Manapouri, Fiordland National Park, South Island, New Zealand
San Francisco, USA
Saint Petersburg, Russia, Virtual tour
Manhattan, New York, USA
Chicago, USA
Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland
Dubai, UAE
Mauritius Island, Pacific Ocean
Maldivian Islands, North Atoll
Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia
Iceland, South-Western, Southern and South-Eastern sides
Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
Bangkok, Thailand
Horseshoe bend of Colorado River, Arizona, USA
Moscow, Russia, Virtual Tour
Little Colorado River Gorge, Arizona, USA
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Paria River Canyon, Arizona, USA
Moeraki, New Zealand
Victoria Waterfall, Zambia - Zimbabwe
Marble Canyon and Navajo Bridge, Grand Canyon National park, Arizona, USA
Dominican Republic, Haiti Island, Caribbean Sea
Goosenecks of San Juan River State Park, Utah, USA
Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Kalyan Minaret
Amsterdam, Holland
Powell Lake, Utah-Arizona, USA
Moscow, Panorama Shot at a height of 1000 meters
Moscow , 1 Gig Pixel Panorama
Val Gardena, Dolomite Alps, Italy
Denver, Colorado, USA
Angel Waterfall, Venezuela
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Twelve Apostles National Park, Australia
Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
Novodevichy Convent, Moscow
Odessa, Crimea, Ukraine
Moscow-City Business Center
Seattle, USA
Toronto, Canada
Grimsvotn Volcano, Iceland
Stockholm, Sweden
Angkor, Cambodia
Bagan, Myanmar
Kiev,Its Cathedrals and Monasteries, Ukraine
Ai-Petri, Crimea, Ukraine
Moscow: Kremlin, MSU, Ukraine hotel, Zhivopisny Bridge, Moscow-City, Southern Port, MEH (total about 20 places)
Novodevichy Convent, Moscow
Greenland, Eastern Seaboard
Neuschwanstein Castle
Taj Mahal, India
Agra, India
Jaipur, India
Varanasi, India
Delhi, India
The following panoramas are going to be shot this year:
The Great Wall of China
Zhangjiajie, China
Huangshan, China
Petra, Jordan
Jerusalem, Israel
Vienna, Austria
Svalbard, Norway
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Barcelona, Spain
Stonehenge, England
Colosseum, Rome, Italy
Pisa, Italy
Venice, Italy
The Parthenon, Greece
Meteora, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Mikonos, Greece
South Georgia Archipelago
Chichen Itza, Mexico
Tikal, Guatemala
http://www.airpano.com/
Learn How to do a Simple Stem Cutting - YouTube
Published on May 1, 2012 by HomeGrownVideos1
One type of plant propagation is stem cutting. This video demonstrates how to properly do a stem cutting and how to perform three different rooting techniques. This is a beginning gardener project.
Related Links:
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8702.html
http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenprimer/ss/Cuttings.htm
http://video.about.com/gardening/Start-New-Plants-From-Cutting.htm
Apr 30, 2012
Conversations with Great Minds - Dr. James Loewen - Lies My Teacher Told Me P2 - YouTube
Published on Apr 30, 2012 by TheBigPictureRT
Dr. James Loewen, Sociologist/Historian/Author of 6 books including "Lies My Teacher Told Me" and "Lies Across America." The average American History textbook weighs 4.5 pounds - is 888 pages long - and contains page after page of misinformation that is tainting the education of American children every day. So how can teachers give children a comprehensive and accurate history of America?
Dr. James Loewen doing great work... Monte
Related Links:
http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/
Pure Rain Nozzle
Published by PureRainProduct
oxygenating watering wand
Have you ever wondered why your plants look so healthy after it rains?
Leafy plants use oxygen to absorb vital nutrients from the soil around their roots. Raindrops gather oxygen as they fall through the air, and the highly oxygenated water helps the plants extract nutrients more efficiently. That’s why plants look so healthy and robust after a good rain. Pure Rain™ products add millions of microscopic nanobubbles — each just a fraction of the width of a human hair — to ordinary tap water. The extra oxygen delivered by the nano-bubbles helps your plants absorb nutrients faster than ever, making them healthier, stronger, and more disease-resistant. By simply attaching them to your garden hose and watering regularly, Pure Rain™ products can increase leafy plant growth by up to 30%. They can even decrease your water usage because of the high levels of oxygen added.Think about how your plants would feel if they had regular, invigorating showers that gave the same benefits as all-natural rain water. They’d love you for it.Best of all, Pure Rain™ does all this without any chemicals — just the way nature intended.
Proven technology
Oxygen nanobubbles have a long and successful track record in industrial and agricultural uses, and Pure Rain™ is finally making that technology convenient and affordable for everyday gardeners, all without the use of harmful chemicals.
Send oxygen right to the roots
Pure Rain™ is an innovative and environmentally safe solution that brings your oxygen-deprived plants and flowers to life using oxygen nanobubbles to make your plants, flowers, and gardens grow fuller and faster.
Stronger, healthier plants
The oxygen nanobubbles Pure Rain™ adds to ordinary hose water enable plants to absorb more nutrients from the soil around their roots, helping them resist disease and grow faster than ever.
Chemical-free growth
There are many chemical products that stimulate growth in your plants, but you might not be aware of their other long-term effects. Wouldn’t you rather see remarkable growth from everyday water?
Better results using less water
Millions of microscopic oxygen nanobubbles are added to the molecules in ordinary hose water, potentially reducing overall water usage by up to 30%.
The real value of rainwater
Using a rain barrel? While they offer some benefits, they also lose possibly the most valuable attribute of natural rain: the oxygen collected as it falls. Your plants deserve all the oxygen they can get.
Related Links:
http://purerain.com/
Apr 29, 2012
Running Your Engine on Wood-Gas with Wayne Keith!
Published on Apr 26, 2012 by ecojaunt
Wayne Keith runs his trucks on wood-gas, a pyrolytic process! He takes us through this system step by step. Wayne Keith not only holds the land speed record for wood-gas, but has driven over 250,000 miles on wood! He has also been featured in Mother Earth News multiple times.
Wayne Keith does an excellent job of explaining how it all works... worth a watch... Monte
Sepp Holzer – The Permaculture Pope
Published on Apr 5, 2012 by SuperGnuh
Sepp Holzer's "krameterfarm" in Salzburg - Austria on "servus TV" part 1 A documentary about permaculture.
no copyright infringement intended - i translated it for educational purpose only.
source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxyqVF9co3A
Published on Apr 6, 2012 by SuperGnuh
Sepp Holzer's "krameterfarm" in Salzburg - Austria on "servus TV" part 2 - A documentary about permaculture.
Sepp Holzer – The Permaculture Pope ... Brilliant man ... !!! Monte
The Extraordinary Genius of Albert Einstein
Uploaded by laroucheyouth on Aug 23, 2010
The core of the video is a workshop pedagogical on the Theory of Special Relativity as part of the educational process conducted by our youth leadership, not for the sake of understanding the theory itself, but using Einstein's particular discovery as a case study to demonstrate and walk people through real human thinking, as being something above sense perceptions or opinions. We end with reflecting on the principle of relativity in terms of social relations and individual identities or thought processes, asking the question --how was Einstein able to make his breakthrough?
New Permaculture Books 2012 - YouTube
Published on Apr 28, 2012 by permascience
Two new permaculture book releases for 2012 :
- People and Permaculture - caring for ourselves, each other, and the planet by Looby Macnamara.
- Permaculture Design - a step-by-step guide by Aranya.
In this short video, both authors are talking to Maddy Harland the co-founder of the books' publisher Permanent Publications.
http://www.permanent-publications.co.uk/publications_1.htm
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/why-permaculture-needs-design
Both Looby Macnamara and Aranya are well respected permaculture designers and teachers in Britain, and they operate many permaculture courses throughout the year. Please visit the designed visions website to find out more : http://www.designedvisions.com/
These books and more are available to purchase at : http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/books/permaculture.html?dir=asc&order=price
http://www.permanent-publications.co.uk/publications_1.htm
http://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/why-permaculture-needs-design
Both Looby Macnamara and Aranya are well respected permaculture designers and teachers in Britain, and they operate many permaculture courses throughout the year. Please visit the designed visions website to find out more : http://www.designedvisions.com/
These books and more are available to purchase at : http://www.green-shopping.co.uk/books/permaculture.html?dir=asc&order=price
Apr 27, 2012
Giant 22+ TON Engine (START UP) (circa 1920)
Published on Apr 21, 2012 by taofledermaus
Originally thought this was a "hit and miss" type engine because of the flywheel configuration, but after some research learned it is a 2 stroke diesel engine.
Story of this massive engine.
This is a 110 HP 2 cycle 2 cylinder hot head oil engine manufactured by the Continental Gin Company in Birmingham, Alabama. This engine was located in Yuma, Arizona, and was in use at a cotton gin from 1924 to 1949. Since this engine has no load on it, it is pretty quiet, but folks said when it was in service and under load, it could be heard for over 12 miles. It is started using compressed air and both of the hot heads are heated using torches, though I did not notice that when they started this.
Interesting Specs:
The weight of this beast is over 22 tons.
Each flywheel weighs 4260 lbs.
Bore is 14"
Stroke is 20"
It runs on a mixture of oil and diesel.
RPM 225
--
http://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Farm-Shows/CONTINENTAL-SEVEN-ONE-TEN.aspx
This was at the Antique Farm Equipment Show in Tulare, CA.
Wonderful post by taofledermaus Monte
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